Fashion ‘N’ Fabrics

Last Wednesday I visited the shop Fashion ‘N’ Fabrics in St Albans.  I haven’t been there for a few years.  I particularly like the fact that you never know what you will find because it sells what I would call “old favourites” – yarn that you don’t see in other places.  I remember when I wanted some red denim yarn and they had some.

I didn’t actually buy any yarn this time but I bought these buttons – I may use them for the cardigan that I am knitting.

This shop mainly sells Sirdar yarn but I also saw some King Cole – what I found more interesting was that there was some Richard Poppleton and Emu yarn – both of which you could call “vintage”.  My grandmother used to sell Richard Poppleton yarn and I can see some of hers stored in a box in this room – I will knit it one day!

The name of the shop will tell you that it isn’t really a yarn store – it mainly sells fabric.  There is a lot of beautiful fabric in a small space.

If you are ever in St Albans – it is worth a visit.

Fashion ‘N’ Fabrics,  24 Beech Road, St Albans, Herts, AL3 5AS

Tel: 01727 865 038

www.fashion-n-fabrics.com

A Lovely Horrible Colour!

Another recent purchase at Oxford Yarn Store was 10 balls of Rowan Brushed Fleece in a shade that I would call a lovely horrible colour – it is  sort of mustardy green.

According to the label it is Shade 00255.  This yarn is a mixture of merino wool and baby alpaca.  Each ball has 105m/115 yards.  I am hoping that there will be enough to make myself a cardigan like the one that I made for my mother.

I have made a start on it.

Irregular Striped Scarf Version 4

This week I have knitted some of the yarn that I bought in the sale at Oxford Yarn Store.

I bought 3 odd balls – one of Colinette Art, one of Rowan Fine Art Aran and one of Artesano Aran.  I wanted a scarf to go with a cream hat – so decided on a combination of “cream” and blue for a change.  I don’t knit with blue yarn very often.

I have made the scarf slightly wider than previous versions – I cast on 44 stitches.  I also made the scarf a bit longer by knitting with Yarn B until I had run out of yarn at the end.

Knitting for 2016

For the past week I have been thinking about what I would like to knit in 2016.  I have a few unfinished items which probably wouldn’t take very long to finish but they are just stored in the spare bedroom – untouched for months or in some cases untouched for years. 

My sister gave me some lovely yarn as a Christmas present.  Some of it is shown below.

At the moment I am thinking of using it for a part modular/part free-form cardigan, but I may change my mind. 

I have also been to Oxford Yarn Store again this week – well it wasn’t raining and I fancied a walk!  I also have a new cream fur hat and no scarves that go with it – so I thought I could buy some yarn to make a scarf.  On the return journey I was clutching two carrier bags full of yarn.  It is a very tempting shop and they had a sale!

This means that the list of things to knit in 2016 has just got longer.

I have now made 2 lists – the first is of unfinished projects:

• Colinette Skye Jumper for my mother
• Oxfam blanket
• Black super chunky jacket
• Blue and red jacket
• Turquoise jumper
• Pink wrap
• Poppies jumper
• Steps cotton jumper
• Diamond shapes Kureyon cardigan

This second list is of possible new projects for which I have bought the yarn but not started them yet:

• Blue and cream striped scarf
• New Avengers scarf/shawl
• Light brown lace scarf
• Child’s jacket
• Rowan Brushed Fleece cardigan for me
• Brickwork bag
• Kureyon Throw
• More 4 Triangular shapes blanket
• Blue squared blanket
• Multi-coloured modular/free-form jacket
• Triangular shawl

I wonder how many of these I will actually manage to do.

Knitting and Darts

Most people might think that knitting and darts are incompatible and certainly you can’t play darts and knit at the same time - but I have seen people knitting in the audience.  I love watching darts and find it hard to do any complicated knitting because I just get engrossed.  Fortunately, I am just knitting garter stitch squares for my charity blanket – so I can get some knitting done.

A couple of years ago I designed a darts inspired tea cosy for All the Fun of the Fair.

I originally knitted some tea cosies consisting of 6 panels and then while watching the darts – I thought “I could knit a dart board!”.  If anyone else is interested in knitting a dart board tea cosy – the pattern is available from All the Fun of the Fair on Ravelry.